The winning projects for the second year of Hartford Decides, the city's participatory budgeting program, were announced Saturday.

Out of 17 project proposals submitted by city residents, the four that received the highest votes were: planting trees at five city schools; installing heated bus shelters for commuters; adding 100 trash cans in the city; and purchase of buying new laptops for three branches in the city's library system.

The four winning projects, proposed by teams of Hartford residents, will receive pieces of the $250,000 in capital improvement funds set aside by the city council for this year's round of voting.

Specifically: The trees get $75,000; the bus shelters get $100,000; the trash-can project gets $55,000; and the laptops get $20,000.

"It's gone really well, the concept of participatory budgeting is one that lots of people get excited about," said Richard Frieder, a member of the program's board. "We're really pleased at the quality of the projects on the ballot; it truly was a great, diverse group."

Brad Horrigan / Hartford Courant

Bulkeley High School Action Team members (left to right): Klay Clarke, Merceda McClain and Mary Fattouh look on during the Hartford Decides presentation at Hartford City Hall Saturday afternoon. Four winners were announced in the participatory budgeting competition. Bulkeley students conceived the "Heat the Heart of Hartford" project which finished second and will get $100,000 in allocated funds.

Bulkeley High School Action Team members (left to right): Klay Clarke, Merceda McClain and Mary Fattouh look on during the Hartford Decides presentation at Hartford City Hall Saturday afternoon. Four winners were announced in the participatory budgeting competition. Bulkeley students conceived the "Heat the Heart of Hartford" project which finished second and will get $100,000 in allocated funds.

(Brad Horrigan / Hartford Courant)

Frieder was satisfied with the voter turnout this year, with about 1,200 residents 13 and older casting ballots.

Those voters had control over a drastically smaller pot of cash than what was available during the program's inaugural run last year: $1.25 million, earmarked by Pedro Segarra in his final days in the mayor's office.

Mayor Luke Bronin didn't pledge any funding for continuing Hartford Decides in his budget last May, citing the city's growing deficit. But some city councilors, seeking to see the program continue, made the decision to set aside the $250,000 from the first year's allocation to bankroll the 2017 voting.

Bronin, in a budget proposal released Monday, recommended devoting another $250,000 to Hartford Decides for fiscal year 2018.

Meanwhile, the five winning projects chosen during Hartford Decides' first round of voting in 2016 are progressing toward completion.

Those projects were: a citywide mural project; a community garden at Hartford Public High School; improved security at the city's senior centers; portable, inflatable performing art spaces; and brighter lighting in the city's parks.

Linda Bayer, a member of Hartford Decides' steering committee, said that four of the projects have made significant progress through the city's planning and bidding process, and that they will likely be realized in the next few months.

For instance, the murals — the project that received the most votes — are expected go up at various locations by the end of the summer, according to Bayer.